The fire horn rang out in Ossipee, New Hampshire around 10 p.m. on September 28, 1916. The blaze at Frederick and Florence Small's cottage on the lake burned fast, even, and hot. The fire department could do nothing to save the structure or anyone who might remain inside. Frederick was out of town, seen leaving on a train towards Boston that afternoon, but Florence was unaccounted for.

It was a suspicious fire that left a homicide case in its smoldering rubble. Frederick Small was arrested and charged with his wife's murder, but how could he pull off the crime from an entirely different state?

Janice Petrie, author of Perfection To A Fault: A Small Murder in Ossipee, New Hampshire, 1916 joins me to explore the case of Florence Aileen Curry Small.

View source material and photos for this episode at darkdowneast.com

Follow @darkdowneast on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok

To suggest a case, email hello@darkdowneast.com

Support Dark Downeast on Buy Me a Coffee

Shop Dark Downeast merch at darkdowneast.com/shop